Asian Film Online Series

"The quality of the video and the audio is superb: clear and crisp on both counts. The collection of films is singular; you’re not going to find these productions in many other places, and certainly not grouped together and searchable in as many ways.

The browsing capabilities will serve both subject specialists and novices in the field, since the advanced search offers so many different options and access points."

— Library Journal

Asian Film Online is a multi-part online streaming video collection of more than 1,000 narrative feature films, documentaries, and shorts. With Asian voices addressing Asian issues, and through works selected by Asian film experts, the collection offers highly relevant perspectives and insights. Its themes—such as modernity, globalization, national identity, female agency, inequalities in opportunity amid social and political unrest, and cultural and sexual identity—are central to any meaningful discussion of Asian culture.

Whereas tracking down these hard-to-find films individually is a time-consuming, expensive, and complicated process, Asian Film Online brings this trove of high-quality resources straight to your library in one cost-effective, easy-to-use online interface.

This series is valuable for scholarship in Asian studies, Middle Eastern studies, political science, postcolonial theory and criticism, anthropology, and linguistics. The works also explore a wide variety of cinematic styles and techniques relevant to the study of film, literature, and the visual and performing arts.

Asian Film Online: Volume I

Asian Film Online: Volume I features more than 600 hours of film from across the region. More than 75 percent of these titles stream exclusively in Asian Film Online, and more than 60 percent are award winners. Twenty-four countries are represented, with a strong concentration on China, India, Iran, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

The collection features internationally acclaimed directors as well as those rarely seen outside their native countries. Filmmakers include:

More than 30 films highlighting Persia’s rich history and the diverse societies that define the country, each paired with a contextual video introduction from a leading film scholar or expert.

Fourteen significant films made by “sixth generation” filmmakers, as discussed by Dr. Sun Shaoyi and Li Xun in their book Lights! Camera! Kai Shi!: In-depth Interviews with China’s New Generation of Movie Directors

The Water Cries, a 16-part series produced by CCTV in China, which examines the largely untold story of water rights in China’s past, present, and future.

Asian Film Online: Volume II

Launched in 2014, Volume II is growing to deliver 500 additional hours of film along with 5,000 pages of text focused on the featured films and filmmakers. The second volume features works from 70 countries across Asia, including more in-depth coverage of Turkey, Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.

Highlights from Volume II include:

Feature films from the rarely seen region of Assam in Northeast India, including works from Jahnu Barua and Utpal Borpujar

The complete works of Vietnam’s Dang Nhat Minh, not available together in any other collection

The largest available collection of films from Sri Lanka’s Sir Lester James Peries, winner of the Fellini Gold Medal at the 2003 Cannes International Film Festival

Behind-the-scenes footage with award-winning Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, including a detailed look at the creation of the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Films from Iranian feminist Tahinineh Milani, whose controversial works address women’s rights and include award-winners like The Unwanted Woman, The Fifth Reaction, Two Women, The Hidden Half, and Ceasefire—one of the best-selling Iranian movies of all time

Teaching Power

Asian Film Online is available on Alexander Street’s online interface, and provides an array of features to enhance teaching and learning.

The collection is indexed to meet the specific search needs of faculty and students in film and Asian studies. Search and browse filmmaker, country, language, genre, theme, original language, and other criteria.

View a full overview of all of the features on the Asian Film Online interface here.

Product Information

Asian Film Online is a multi-part online collection of streaming video available to libraries via annual subscription or one-time purchase, with pricing scaled to your institution. Volumes are available individually or as a series.

Background Information about Select Films

Background information about select films from China featured in Asian Film Online: Volume I

Background information about select films from Korea featured in Asian Film Online: Volume I